"Hmm...."

After using the Field Scanner, Baek Yu-Seol hid in a corner of the ruined building and checked the map.

Only one participant was displayed.

For some reason, he was captured in the Field Scanner.

Upon observing that he remained stationary, Baek Yu-Seol guessed that he might have been attacked by Berenkal.

[If you go to the restroom on the seventh floor building located at the ruins of the northeast Seldan village, you can obtain the Field Scanner artifact.]

[Hurry to the southwest mountain ridge and use it as quickly as possible.]

[If the timing is right, you can prevent someone from becoming a sacrifice.]

It appeared to be a guide written by seasoned players.

Berenkal’s timing and location for the first kill were all detailed in the guide.

Anyway, being marked on the map meant that he was alive, at least for now.

Later, if other participants intentionally depleted his Vital Points, he would be automatically eliminated and return outside.

The perpetrator behind that incident would notice the presence of someone with suspicious power in this field.

Shortly after, the map display turned off, and the survival status changed.

[99/100]

Perhaps someone found the victim and properly handled the elimination process.

For now, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

"Phew...."

Leaning against a pillar of the collapsed building, he tried to put the Field Scanner, which had served its purpose, into the survival-exclusive backpack.

However, he sensed a presence.

The location was right outside the building's outer wall.

Someone was approaching by climbing the building.

Well, it would be strange not to get caught.

Traces, including footprints, were clearly visible due to his hurried run to quickly farm the Field Scanner.

It might have exposed Baek Yu-Seol’s location to other participants hiding nearby.

The center was still far away, but combat was inevitable now.

Baek Yu-Seol just retrieved the weapon he picked up along with the Field Scanner a moment ago from his backpack.

[Lv.1 Wooden Club]

It might look unimpressive, but it was quite a powerful weapon within the Magic Survival.

Only a few eccentric individuals carried it as a secondary weapon.

… Unfortunately, Baek Yu-Seol happened to be one of those few eccentrics.

Anyway, from now on, he had to make quite a commotion.

As he approached the window with a hole, the sensation became even more pronounced.

The enemy outside seemed highly trained in mana control; even though he was close to the building's outer wall, his mana flow was barely noticeable.

He was presumably a Knight class fighter.

Still, that was not a problem.

Baek Yu-Seol was confident in close combat.

[Flash]

"... Huh!"

Using Flash to escape, Baek Yu-Seol hovered in the air, leaving behind the boy stuck to the wall with a complex expression.

It appeared that he wanted to prepare magic by drawing out a wand, but Baek Yu-Seol already knew that his casting time would be high since he was stuck to the wall.

[Flash]

Moving again, he approached closer, and swung the wooden club heavily.

Thunk!!

"Ugh!"

Although he hastily raised a shield, he couldn't overcome the impact and fell to the ground.

If they had fought on level ground, he might have had a chance, but his mistake was trying to ambush while stuck to the wall.

Kwoong...!

Rushing along the wall towards the boy who fell to the ground, Baek Yu-Seol swiftly swung the wooden club to conclude the encounter.

[1 KILL!]

A cheerful killing sound announcing the enemy's elimination resonated in his ears.

"Phew."

Although he immediately finished off the opponent in front of him, this was just the beginning.

Because Baek Yu-Seol was planning to attack all visible enemies from now on.

'I hope I don't encounter any exceptionally strong opponents...'

He headed towards the central city, hoping not to encounter any strong opponent who had the potential to win.

——-

Magic Survival was a highly anticipated competition for spectators, where boys and girls with the greatest talents gathered to determine the ultimate survivor.

Strategy, tactics, magic, luck, terrain, and weather came together to decide the last survivor.

Moreover, ‘which academy is better’ was a topic that daily served as a magical cocktail for discussions among mages.

With around thirty prestigious magic academies simultaneously participating in the game, Magic Survival unfolded as a battle of pride.

To witness the excellence of the nation's students, it had become quite common for the king to personally attend, occupying the finest VIP seat.

Therefore, stopping Magic Survival easily was impossible.

"... If we stop it now, a significant controversy will arise."

That was the opinion of Eltman Eltwin.

"Recent Academy Battle tournaments are not merely at the level of a academy festival. You know that too, Edna."

"I know, but..."

Edna, who visited the First Tower, bowed deeply while biting her lip.

With a regretful expression, Eltman rummaged through documents.

"Even so... I was in the middle of identifying a rat. It's undoubtedly a Dark Mage with the qualifications to access the heart of Stella Dome... But with our current technology, finding them is impossible."

Eltman Eltwin, a Class 9 mage and one of the rare Grand Masters in the world, spoke.

Edna knew how much Eltman's pride was hurt at the moment.

In the original novel, Eltman went to great lengths to detect the Dark Mage's magic power.

He must still be feeling awkward about it.

"Of course, that doesn't mean we should do nothing. We need to take measures."

Even if casting a spell to bring students out of the isolated space was done right now, it would take a considerable amount of time.

By then, there might already be a significant number of casualties.

In that case, wouldn't it be better to secretly assist one of the participants in the survival game or perhaps exclude them separately?

"But... we don't even know who among them is the Dark Mage. Besides, even if we help, we don't know whom to assist..."

"Baek Yu-Seol. I'm thinking of helping that child."

"Uh...?"

Edna’s eyes widened in surprise, as she didn't expect that name to come up.

"Well, students from other academies who came as participants are also elite, and they probably have considerable practical experience. However, I believe in the students from my academy."

Despite many participants from Stella's second and third years, Eltman insisted on singling out Baek Yu-Seol from the first year as the most trustworthy.

"That child is... as you all know, quite special."

As Eltman said that, his gaze fell on Anella, who was fidgeting with her fingers behind Edna.

'An exchange student...'

Although her eyes appeared strangely suspicious, he couldn’t find anything even if he used mana scans.

It only confirmed that her mana quantity was less than ordinary students.

After all, if she were an ordinary student from outside Stella, that mana amount might be considered as above average.

"Did you find out about this?"

"Uh? Yes, I... just overheard."

Although Eltman asked in a friendly tone as if talking to a peer, Anella felt her throat tighten, making her feel like she might choke.

There was probably no dark mage in the work who could remain sane in front of Eltman, the archmage with the notorious reputation of a crazy Dark Mage Slayer.

"Hmm... how did you find out?"

"W-well..."

"Oh, I'm not interrogating you. Still, since it's quite a significant matter, I'd like to know the source of the information. Don't feel pressured."

Twisting her fingers nervously, Anella cautiously spoke.

"... I overheard a private conversation."

"You overheard?"

"Yes... I, um, received help from Baek Yu-Seol. I ended up inside the Stella Dome restricted area but got lost..."

That explanation seemed fitting and believable.

It was true that she received help from Baek Yu-Seol, and the restricted area within Stella Dome was like a complex maze.

"Hmm, I see. Perhaps we need to overhaul the structure of Stella Dome after all."

"Yeah..."

Eltman quickly moved on to the next topic.

"Then, whose conversation did you overhear?"

Gulp.

Anella's throat shook noticeably.

This was it.

If she claimed not to know because she couldn't see faces here, she might save a fellow Dark Mage.

However, the moment she exposed his identity to Eltman...

‘I would be betraying my own kind.’

One of the strictly forbidden rule even in the world of power-hungry Dark Mages who operated on strength and desire.

'Never betray your own kind.'

As a Dark Mage who must live hidden in the world of shadows, Anella had decided to abandon her identity.

Mutual infighting among Dark Mages was strictly forbidden, as it was believed that it would prevent them from accomplishing significant feats.

This rule was established by the gathering of the 'Dark Mage King,' 'Supreme Leader of Dark Mage Alliance,' and 'President of the Dark Mage Organisation' in the near past.

Although it remained as a kind of 'decree,' it became a shared purpose for all Dark Mages to live by...

‘I've decided to give up being a Dark Mage.’

With her own will, Anella overcame the decree and could finally utter that name.

"Ka Baren. His name is Ka Baren."

Before she knew it, the match was heading towards the second half.

‘As expected, most players have chosen to conceal themselves. Indeed, their ability to occupy positions, observe enemies, and deter them is also remarkable!’

Despite the host's enthusiastic narration, this part of the game was, in reality, the most tedious.

The game area was still quite extensive, with little interaction between players.

Even if they did encounter each other, most of the time, they would glare at each other before going their separate ways.

As the game entered the latter half, the real action usually unfurled when players had to start killing each other to survive.

This time was perfect for taking a restroom break.

However, this year's competition was different.

Due to one particular player, the tense atmosphere never subsided even for a moment.

‘Ah, Stella's first-year student, Baek Yu-Seol! Once again, as soon as he identifies an enemy, he quickly approaches! His unique teleportation magic provides superior mobility! A dazzling and artistic control which allows him to roam freely through the three-dimensional space!’

In the center of the stadium, there was a giant hologram. Although most of it was obscured by shadows, spectators could see players in the area receiving the light of the artificial sun.

And most of the battles involving Baek Yu-Seol took place in locations bathed in the sunlight.

Boom! Bang!

Flames scattered, and ice fragments fell.

While Baek Yu-Seol attempted to find an opening with consecutive teleportation, players sensed the crisis and were prepared in advance for flash.

Zhoo! Zhoo! Zhoo!!

The moment Baek Yu-Seol reached, ice javelins sprang up from all directions!

However, he slid elegantly on the ground, avoiding the projectiles, and smoothly exited the field as ice shot into the sky.

"He fights well."

Hong Bi-Yeon commented with a casual remark.

"Isn't that right? As expected."

"Right, right."

"Princess has a discerning eye, you know?"

Followers on either side made meaningless banter.

With their personality, they would probably repeat the same words like a tap recorder, but since she liked such flattery, she didn't particularly discourage them.

‘Ah, Player Baek Yu-Seol! Once again, he has taken down an enemy's neck! This time, we might say he's aiming for the head! It's already his 8th kill!’

Baek Yu-Seol wondered if there was no need to find a sword against kids.

Baek Yu-Seol carried a low-level artifact, a wooden stick, and systematically took down enemies one by one.

That was it.

While he utilized various artifacts appearing on the stage in a very novel way, he surprised people by using them in ways they had never thought of.

‘Oh, he used the 'Skywalking' artifact in such a way... As if there were terrain, he walked through the air, deceiving the enemy and making them fall!’

‘By attaching the 'Throwing Hooks' to 'Target Spheres,’ he propelled his body forward! Remarkable adaptability. I never imagined that!’

Many people cheered for Baek Yu-Seol’s splendid performance.

In Magic Survival, the standard strategy was to endure quietly.

"Seems like he has no intention of hiding..."

Back in the day, Baek Yu-Seol used to fight moderately, but somehow, he now fervently defeated enemies one by one.

Considering his mental age, he would typically find Academy Battles among kids cute and trivial, but he was putting in so much effort.

'Huh?'

Then, on the opposite side, Hong Bi-Yeon spotted a familiar face in the audience.

Edna was running urgently somewhere with a girl, and her expression looked unusual.

Wondering what had happened, she frowned, and at that moment, an abnormality occurred in the stadium.

‘Ah, what's going on! Three players have started attacking Baek Yu-Seol simultaneously!’

"What?"

Swiftly turning her head towards the stadium, she could indeed see three boys determinedly approaching Baek Yu-Seol from all sides.

‘Perhaps they formed a temporary alliance to defeat a strong enemy!’

The host presented it that way, but Hong Bi-Yeon thought differently.

'Temporary alliance, what nonsense... Those three faces, they're familiar. They are all members of Crown Prince Jeremy's faction.'

The fact that those three happened to meet at that location and actively engaged in confronting Baek Yu-Seol to eliminate him?

That was absurd.

Even if they tried to act properly, they certainly gathered to eliminate Baek Yu-Seol.

'Well, at least he won't be defeated by students.'

Expecting that Baek Yu-Seol would handle the situation well and escape on his own, Hong Bi-Yeon soon lost interest and stood up to find Edna.

‘Ah! What a pity. Player Baek Yu-Seol seems unable to withstand the combined attacks of the three players. Will his performance end like this?’

As the ground flipped, and magic launched from all directions became overwhelming, Baek Yu-Seol could do nothing but desperately flee.

"Ah, what a shame."

"That guy fought well."

"Is he going to be eliminated here?"

Sounds of regret echoed here and there, but Hong Bi-Yeon chuckled.

'Eliminated? What nonsense.'

She even began to think that Baek Yu-Seol might be acting like a villain, deliberately creating an extreme situation to get a better reaction when he escapes.

However...

Hong Bi-Yeon would never know.

———

“Darn it! You crazy guys! Teaming up is against the rules! Moderator! Moderator, what are you doing?!”

Baek Yu-Seol was currently desperately trying to escape.